Roll cleaning machine



Oct. 6, 1931. G. VON WEBERN 1,825,837

R01 1: CLEANING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 duotmqd Oct.6', 1931. VON WEBERN 1,825,837.

ROLL CLEANING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1950 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented Oct.6, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUIDO VON WECBERN, OF DAYTON, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO OXFORD VARNISH CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN ROLL CLEAENING MACHINE Application filed May 12,

The object of this invention is to provide an improved and effectivemechanism for cleaning the surface of large composition rolls and thelike. Composition rolls used in wood, marble and like graining methodsare usually formed with a suitable hard core and a tacky resilient outerlayer of composition material, the major components of which are glueand glycerine. A well known method of graining is to remove the ink orpigment medium from an etched intaglio plate having the design thereon,by moving a large composition roll first into rolling contact with theplate and then into rolling contact with the subject to be grained,causing the pigment material which adheres to the composition to beimpressed onto the subject. To provide adequate surface for plates andsubjects varying greatly in size, the composition rolls are sometimesmade. very large, say three feet in diameter,-and are supported on asuitable trackway so as to move from rolling contact with the plate on asuitable table into rolling contact with the subject, and then beyondboth the plate and subject to a position favorable to cleaning the rollof surplus pigment. Usually the roll is suspendingly supported and aconvenient means for cleaning the roll is to provide a scraper blade andassociated pigment softening means on a suitable mounting below thecomposition roll.

The cleaning method usually followed consists in frictionally drivingthe composition roll against a scraper blade in contact with the roll.In following this method, it has been the practice to lower thecomposition roll into contact with the scraper blade, but it has beenfound very difficult to maintain pressure between the scraper blade andthe roll which will be most effective in scraping off the pigment. Thisin mainly due to the extreme weight of the composition roll andattendant difficulty of properly supporting it for fine adjustment withrelation to the scrapen.

To overcome the difficulties heretofore encountered, I propose to mountthe scraper blade and a friction roller. for turning the compositionroll. which roller may also apply a suitable softening fluid to thecompo- 1930. Serial No. 451,594.

sition roll, in such manner that the scraper and friction roller may bemanually lifted into uniform contact with the composition roll, therebyenablin the operator to sense and maintain the desired contact pressure.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description relating to the accompanying drawings. Theessential charactristics will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofsuitable grainingequipment showing the composition roll cleaning mechanism disposed withrelation to the composition roll in position preparatory. to cleaningthe roll; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the roll cleaning mechanismviewed at right angles to the showing of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectionalplan view of the base portions of the cleaning mechanism, as indicatedby the line 3-3 on Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail view in which thescraper, frictional driving roller and the associated parts are shown inoperative relation to the composition roll surface.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 indicates an overhead trackwaywhich may be suitably supported for receiving a carriage 2 mounted onrollers 3 engaging the trackway, the carriage having downwardextensions, one of which is shown at 4 for supporting the compositionroll C. By means of the trackway and carriage, the roll may be movedover a table (not shown) supporting cooperating printing equipment; forexample, an etched intaglio plate, diagrammatically indicated at P, anda subject to be grained, such as a metal or Swood panel,diagrammatically indicated at Any suitable arrangement for maintainingthe desired rolling contact between the comosition roll and the plate orthe subject may be provided; for example, the table or the roll or bothmay be vertically adjustable. As shown, the roll G has an axle 5arranged in inclined slots 6 of the depending members 4 of the carriageto permit the roller to be easily removed from the carriage whennecessary. The carriage may be equipped with a chain hoist (not shown)by which the roll may be lowered to the floor of the building support- 1arm 7 attached to the axle and capable of I being turned to variouspositions and locked as by set screw 8 on the arm, arranged to engage adacent surfaces of the member 4. The

roll C may, by moving the carriage, be

brought into rolling contact with the plate P to take pigment therefrom,and by further movement of the carriage. be brought into rolling contactwith the subject S to transfer the design picked up by the compositionroll onto such subject. Some of the pigment of course adheres to theroll after the subject is ,printed and this must be removed.

To clean the excess pigment from the composition roll, the roll is nowconveyed by the carriage to a position above the cleaning mechanism (asin Fig. 1), which latter mechanism forms the subject matter of thisapplication.

The cleaning mechanism comprises a main supporting frame, including twoside frame members 10, for a scraper blade 11 (see Fig. 4) and arelatively small roller 12 mounted adjacent the scraper. The roller 12may be formed partly or entirely of wood,and preferably has its outersurface portion formed of material which will take up a cleaningsolution, such as benzine, from a pan, such as 13. The pan is suitablysupported on the frame and so designed that the level of cleaning fluidin the pan may be maintained above the lowermost portion of the roller12. The pan may have its ends supported in any suitable manner in theframe members 10, and has a drain cock at 13a.

In addition to the roller 12 there is provided a small knurled, drivingand composition surface supporting roller 14 in contact with thecomposition roll and closely adjacent the scraper blade 11. The tworollers 12 and 14 are arranged to be suitably-driven at substantiallythe same surface speed.

The scraper blade 11 may be pivotally mounted at its ends in suitablesupports not shown) and is arranged to be held in contact with the rollC by means of a compression spring 15 interposed'between-an arm 16 onthe blade and a spring support 17 carried on a triangular frameworkhaving diagonal parts 18 extending into respective bracket formations 19on the frame members 10. A suitable means for driving the roller 12while in contact with the composition roll may comprise an electricmotor, designated 20, and mounted on one of the frame members 10, whichmotor has a reduction gearing connection with the roller 12 to therebyturn the composition roller slowly. As shown,there is a driving pulley22 on the motor, which, through a suitable belt 23, drives a largerpulley 24 conveniently supported near the top of the frame. The pulley24 may drive the roller 12 through further reduction gearing,diagrammatically indicated at 25 in broken lines in Fig. 1.

In order to adequately support the frame members 10 and the abovedescribed mechanism carried thereon for vertical movement, I have shownthe members 10 as provided with vertically spaced outstanding ears.These, as shown, are in pairs 27 and 28, and each ear slidingly embracesa rigid vertical guide bar 30. There are four of these bars shown, twoat each side of the machine, and each two may be rigidly supported on abase member 31, these being adapted to be secured directly to the floorof the building containing the mechanism. Each of the ears may beprovided with hearing members, such as Babbitt metal bushings, indicatedin broken lines at 32 in Fig. 2, in order to provide free slidingvertical movement of the frame members 10 on the guide bars. v

To raise and lower the frame members 10 and cleaning mechanism intoengagement with the composition roll, I provide a cross shaft 35 joiningthe frame members 10 and having suitable'bearing brackets 36 in these-fram'e members; the cross shaft supports,

near its ends, pinion members or sectors, as desired, indicated at 37.The pinion or sector members are fast on the shaft and each pinionengages a stationary rack 38 mounted in vertical. position on the basesupports 31 which are, as has been mentioned, stationary, being securedto the floor. The racks are guided by suitable channel formations 40rigid on the frame members 10, but which, of course, slide on the racksas the frame members 10 are lifted and lowered.

A suitable arrangement for turning the shaft 35 to thus raise the framemembers 10. equally at each side to maintain uniform pressure betweenthe scraper blade and composition roll throughout the length of theblade. may comprise an arm extending forwardly and upwardly, as shown inFig. 1, the arm having an outstanding pedal member 46 by which theoperator may raise the roll cleaning mechanism with his foot. Theoperator in thus maintaining contact between the blade and compositionroll, soon becomes accustomed to the feel of the blade against the roll,so that he'may impart just the right pressure to completely clean theroll butnot enough to damage it or the blade.

It will be seen from the above description, that the roll adjustment,with relation to the plate and subject to be grained, need not bechanged at any time, since the cleaning mechanism may be brought up tothe roll irassess? It will be seen from Fig. it, that the roller 12 byreason of itspartial immersion in the cleaning liquid in the pan l5softens the pigment material just before the pigment covered surfacereaches the scraper, and that the roller 12 also furnishes thenecessary.

drive for the compositionroll. With the arrangement of the scrapershown, the pigment scraped ofi' the roll simply flows down the inclinedupper side of the scraper blade into the pan and is removed, with thecleaning fluid, from time to time as this becomes c necessary.

I claim: r

1 ln combination, a composition roll, means arranged to carry the rollinto contact with a pattern and a subject, said means being arranged tocarry the roll to a suspended cleaning position, and a cleaningmechanism comprising a scraper arranged to contact with the roll, meansto advance the roll surface over the scraper and means to elevate saldmechanism whereby the vertical ad ustment of the roll does not have tobe altered to complete the cleaning operation.

2. In combination, a re]. cleaning device including an elongated scraperblade adapted to' scrape pigment from the under side of a roll. and aself contained rigid frame for said device, a supporting slidewayguiding the frame for vertical movement and a rack and pinion mechanisminterposed between the frame and support said mechanism being arrangedto simultaneously lift all parts of the frame to thereby carry thescraper with the scripping edge in uniform contact with the ro 3. lin aroll cleaning mechanism, a frame, a roll support arranged to carry aroll to a position above "he frame, roll cleaning means on saidmechanism, and a device for raising said frame to cause the rollcleaning mechanism to coact with the composition roll, said deviceconsisting of a plurality of substantially vertical racks, respectivetoothed members engaging the racks, and unitary means for turning bothtoothed members under the control of an operative for raising the framewith the cleaning mechanism into contact with the roll.

a. Mechanism of the lfind described, com

prising an overhead roll support, including a trackway and carriage forsupporting the roll, a frame, means iding the frame for verticalmovement r0 cleaning mechanism supported on said ame and arranged tocontact with the roll when the frame is raised, there being meansassociated with said frame, comprising a fixed rack, a support therefor,means on the support slidingly engaging the frame to guide the same forvertical movement, a toothed member turnably mounted on the frame withthe teeth thereof in mesh with the rack, and means for turning thetoothed member to thereby raise the frame.

5, A roll cleaning machine arranged to clean the underside of a. rollsupported above the machine, said machine comprising a pair of sideframe members, a roll cleaning device, including a scraper blade,supported by said members, a plurality of slide forming posts adjacentrespective frame members, means on the frame members slidingly embracingsaid posts, fixed racks one for each frame member, a cross shaftadjoining the two frame members, arcuate toothed members fixedly mountedon said cross shaft and engaging the racks, and means for manuallyturning the shaft to cause the roll cleaning device to be raised intocontact with the roll.

In testimony whereof, l hereunto afiix my signature.

GUIDQ voN WEBERN.

